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We just got a new barbecue last week, after not having one for over a year. Prior to that, we only used the BBQ about 2-3 times a year.

It occurred to me that it would be very convenient to cook on the BBQ on days that Hannah is working in the yard, whether it's "yardwork" or "homework while sitting on the grass." I could see us wanting to use the BBQ several times a week in nice weather.

Last Thursday, I baked whole sweet potatoes for the Os, a whole white potato for Jack, plus beef burgers and turkey hot dogs (not 100% compliant) and a salad. This was a tasty meal, but not one I'm willing to make more than once a week. If I'm going to cook dinner on the BBQ 3-4 times a week, we'll need some more variety.

Remember that we keep kosher, so the BBQ can only be used for meat meals (since we've already put meat directly on the grills.) We've got a few Os and a B in the family. And my kitchen is a flight of stairs away from the back patio, so I need foods that don't take a lot of kitchen prep, or can easily be carried downstairs after prepping and before grilling.

I'm also used to having grains with dinner, and I'm not sure how to easily incorporate grains into a BBQ meal when I'm not eating corn on the cob nor eating my burger on a bun.

Shish kabobs are a welcome variety food for summer. They can be made with compliant veggies and meats, marinated - if desired, and grilled.

If you can't put the veggies directly on the grill, you can put them in a flat baking pan and set it on the grill to "bake" them, then cook the meat.

Almost any meat can be cooked on the grill, but obviously the more tender cuts are going to be more tender when grilled. We've even done a whole small turkey on the grill with indirect heat - putting the turkey on one side of the grill while the burner on the other side was burning on med./low...

Already we've branched out a bit, since Leah had time to help with food prep.

I bought one of those plastic burger-pressers, and now Jack is willing to eat the burgers I made! I'll be buying fewer hot dogs in the future.

I tried turkey burgers last week, but they were rather mushy and parts stuck to the grill when I turned them over. Any tips for making ground turkey work better on the grill?

Leah came up with the idea of making veggie kebabs, and found we had some skewers in the house (though I have no clue when I bought them!) She cut up veggies for the kebabs: mushrooms, red peppers, and zucchini. She thought of using onions AFTER we were done cooking, so we'll do that next time. She used some hot dog slices on some of the skewers, but would like to use whole pieces of poultry next time.

Leah also thought of using chicken or turkey cutlets, marinated in some kind of BBQ sauce. We could cook them right on the grill and/or put them on the kebabs. She wants a traditional tomato-based sauce, but I can't eat tomatoes. We were thinking maybe make two kinds: chicken with tomato-based sauce and turkey with something compliant for me and Jack. I'm not worried about trace amounts getting from one food on the grill to another- I'm not THAT sensitive to tomato and Jack isn't that sensitive to chicken. I just don't want a full portion of tomato anything.

Dip any type of burger patties in ice water and they will grill better. Turkey burgers need to have the grill oiled. Turkey is pretty lean, so they will have a tendency to dry out and stick. I often mix buffalo with fattier beef or beef sausage to increase the fat content of buffalo for juicier meat. I sometimes will start turkey burgers in the oven and then finish on grill so they don't dry out.

Ruthiegirl: The flavor of meat-fat is what makes grilled meat especially tantalizing.For that reason I concur with jean b re the use of a fattier beef, for instance, than buffalo, when she is grilling red-meat burgers.Consider dark-meat-only turkey in your grilled turkey burgers; these will have a substantially higher ratio of fat than a more "mixed" ground turkey meat will.

Also to be considered: In recognition of your Jewish culinary habits, I'm assuming you are buying kosher turkey. Ask your butcher to provide you with turkey schmaltz, and keep it in the freezer for just this purpose; that way you can even use white/mixed turkey meat and get a more flavorful result than you would with a vegetable-oil-marinade.

P.S. Remembering your question: And yes - you can incorporate the schmaltz right into your burger meat before forming the patties, for better "marbling" than you'd get by simply greasing surfaces.

D'Adamo proponent since 1997dadamo Blogger and Forum participant since 2005

I always preheat the grill. I put in the sweet potatoes and white potato about an hour before cooking the meat (since the meat cooks faster) so the grill is always preheated before adding the meat.

I wouldn't want to start the turkey burgers in the oven before grilling. The whole point of using the outside grill is to NOT heat up the oven!

That's a good idea about the turkey schmaltz! I actually have some in my freezer from the last time I roasted a whole turkey. I would have frozen it in smaller portions if I'd realized what I'd be using it for (last time I used it to make a crust for a turkey pot pi, and used the whole thing at once.) I'm not sure I'd like the flavor of flax in a burger, though I may try a small amount anyway, with lots of spices.

That's a good idea about the turkey schmaltz! I actually have some in my freezer from the last time I roasted a whole turkey. I would have frozen it in smaller portions if I'd realized what I'd be using it for (last time I used it to make a crust for a turkey pot pi, and used the whole thing at once.) I'm not sure I'd like the flavor of flax in a burger, though I may try a small amount anyway, with lots of spices.

The other thing about flaxseed oil, ruthiegirl, is that it's better uncooked.

As for the schmaltz: If you find yourself really grokking to grilled turkey this spring/summer, you can ask your butcher to set aside for you, rather than discard, turkey schmaltz, and you can pick it up when you shop. It may very well be that when they butcher and grind, they normally dispose of a fair amount of the fat? It's worth an ask -- it'd likely be a freebie, so why not?

Glad you like the idea; it's a natural fit.

D'Adamo proponent since 1997dadamo Blogger and Forum participant since 2005

I don't have an actual "kosher butcher" I go to. I buy Empire Kosher ground turkey in packages. I do, however, also cook whole (small) turkeys once every month or two, plus I save bones from when I cook up a half breast and a leg. I get much more fat from the whole turkeys, though I could also skim the fat off the broth when I make turkey soup from whichever bones I have on hand. I currently have some frozen turkey fat, left over from the last time I roasted a whole turkey. I don't think it would cause problems to mix cooked fat into the raw meat.

I don't have an actual "kosher butcher" I go to. I buy Empire Kosher ground turkey in packages. I do, however, also cook whole (small) turkeys once every month or two, plus I save bones from when I cook up a half breast and a leg. I get much more fat from the whole turkeys, though I could also skim the fat off the broth when I make turkey soup from whichever bones I have on hand. I currently have some frozen turkey fat, left over from the last time I roasted a whole turkey. I don't think it would cause problems to mix cooked fat into the raw meat.

Mmm, you're making me hungry.I bet you make great soup. Something tells me...

Oh, I don't think there's any problem using pre-cooked animal fat; most of us have kept jars of cooking fat (including bacon grease, which you wouldn't know about ) in the fridge...

I was just advising not to cook flax oil.Enjoy your new grill.And - speaking of "cooking up half breast and a leg", ruthiegirl, these are awesome on the grill. Be sure to consult gulfcoastguy's recipe(s): He's the grillmeister around here.

D'Adamo proponent since 1997dadamo Blogger and Forum participant since 2005

Well my best recipe for the grill so far is the Moroccan turkey legs. The one that I have been waiting to try with a half breast(if it ever stops raining) is unfortunately not kosher. Just be sure to brine the turkey before grilling. A basic brine recipe is 1/4 cup, salt, 1/4 cup sugar 1 gallon of water. Heat the water and desolve the salt and sugar in it. Let the brine cool and soak the poultry in it for at leat 4 hours though over night is better. I'm sure any sweetener like honey, maple syrup, or Maybe agave would do in place of the sugar though the taste would change. Hmmm? Maple syrup? That just flung a craving on me as we say round here.